Oscar Rodriguez, Psychiatrist

"I was in Moscow last June, and one of my agendas was to buy a Russian hat."

That hat looks warm.
I bought it in Russia. I was in Moscow last June, and one of my agendas was to buy a Russian hat.

Do people comment on it?
Yes, all the time. It’s either great, like, “That’s a beautiful hat,” or negative, like, “You killed a big animal for that!” I’m afraid sometimes to wear it; I think PETA’s going to come throw paint on my head.

Who are the flowers for?
Myself! My partner and I live in the neighborhood, and we go to the market every Saturday to buy flowers after we have breakfast. It’s our routine. I always have flowers around my house; it enhances my mood.

Speaking of mood, how are your patients feeling lately?
This is an extraordinary year. When people lose their jobs, it creates anxiety and depression. And the very scary thing is that the number of new patients this year has actually decreased by 20 percent. Even if they have a need, many people don’t have health insurance anymore, so they don’t come in.

Yikes, that’s grim.
Yeah, I just hope that under the new administration, things will change. New York is pretty resilient.